Sohel Kanti Nath, Bandarban

Over 500 families comprising nearly 10,000 residents across Dolupara and Islampur villages in Bandarban Sadar Upazila are set to get access to safe drinking water as two government-funded water supply projects near completion.

Implemented by the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) at a cost of Tk 2.05 crore, the projects aim to eliminate long-standing water scarcity in these remote hilly areas.

For years, residents living on steep hill slopes in Dolupara under Kuhalang Union and Islampur under Rajbila Union faced severe water crises, particularly during the dry season when natural hill streams (jhiri) dry up. Women and children bore the brunt of the hardship, trekking long, difficult terrain daily with buckets and pitchers to fetch water from distant wells or depleted streams.

Under the Safe Water Supply Project for the 2025–26 fiscal year, deep tube wells have already been successfully installed in both locations. Construction is currently underway for two central water storage tanks—each with a capacity of 40,000 liters—from which safe drinking water will be distributed directly to households via pipeline networks.

"During the dry season, getting water was like winning a daily battle," said Badsha Mia, a resident of Islampur. "With the new water house project being constructed by the DPHE, our long-standing suffering will finally come to an end once the work is completed."

Uchapru Marma, a resident of Chemi Dulu Para, echoed similar sentiments, noting that around 300 local families previously had to wait in long queues around shallow wells during dry months.

Providing technical details, DPHE Assistant Engineer Md. Saidul Islam stated that approximately 30 percent of the construction work executed by contractor firm Shibli Enterprise has been completed. Both deep tube wells are operational, and work on the storage houses is progressing rapidly.

Executive Engineer of Bandarban DPHE, Anupam Dey, expressed confidence in the project's impact, stating, "Around ten thousand people reside in these two villages, where water scarcity has been a chronic issue every dry season. Completing these two multi-crore projects will not only resolve their drinking water crisis but also significantly improve their quality of life."